Top Artists To Watch For In 2014

With roughly 359 days remaining in 2014, HipHopDX looks at Troy Ave, Logic, Joey Fatts and a list of other artists potentially poised for a breakout year.

Each year, Hip Hop music and culture finds a way to surprise us. As much as 2013 was powered by established names like Kanye West, Eminem and Jay Z, we saw pleasant surprises in the form of two Chicago emcees from the Save Money crew and exponential growth from the Las Vegas wing of Funk Volume. Regardless of the region they claim or the amount of projects they’ve released, we looked at a group of artists with intriguing storylines that we felt were worth keeping an eye on in 2014.

Will a new year bring continued success for the A$AP Mob and Top Dawg Entertainment? Can the roster Rick Ross once dubbed the “Untouchable Maybach Empire” regain their footing after a poorly received compilation and multiple PR gaffes by their captain? Will Hip Hop see its first $100 retail album? With a dozen similar storylines fighting for attention, here are the emcees we’ll be following closely for the next year.

Astro

There are several reasons to love what’s happening in the New York Hip Hop scene. Astro, formerly known as The Astronomical Kid is absolutely high on the list. The 17-year-old Brooklyn native is much more experienced than his age would indicate. A solid run on X-Factor USA combined with nearly a decade’s worth of full-time emceeing honed his talent and temperament. Not only is the kid media savvy and lyrically ready, but he embraces the essence of his city. His 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards cypher verse and well-received mixtape, Deadbeats & Lazy Lyrics, added new levels to his bubbling lore. They might’ve started off looking at your moms, Astro, but now all eyes are on you.

Troy Ave

With his earnest desire to explore Rap from the well-worn tropes of being a street hustler with a hunger to reach commercial sustainability by any means necessary, Brooklyn’s Troy Ave directly confronts the issues surrounding what many consider is missing in New York City Rap. His mixtape, turned iTunes retail offering, New York City: The Album was a self-proclaimed classic, while his recently released White Christmas 2 may be worth a listen for his anti-“Rap weirdoes” rant, as well as thoughts about being against dudes in Rap “being feminine” and “wearing dresses.” A solid throwback emcee whose classic aesthetic—in not being politically correct—may speak to Rap fanatics lost in a sea of Tumblr posts and Hypebeast swag, he’s likely being depended upon to carry the flag for “real Rap” in 2014.

A$AP Nast

With each iteration of Harlem’s A$AP Mob, the unique creative vision of A$AP Yams to drown Uptown egoism in a sea of purple drank gets closer and closer to being the mélange of sound and style that mainstream Hip Hop culture needs in order to truly appropriate the progressive zeitgeist for Hip Hop’s ability to stay relevant. A$AP Nast is the arguably the most complete emcee to develop from the crew, and his recently released single “Trillmatic” featured none other than Wu-Tang legend Method Man on a track that didn’t have as much of the dust of yore sprinkled in its grooves, but still hit hard enough and made us all bob our heads deeply enough to remember how dope the RZA was in the ‘90s. Throwback beats blend with Nast’s aggravated flow and promise much for the year to come.

Isaiah Rashad

Equal parts of every great laid-back and leaned to the side Southern rapper you’ve ever enjoyed, latest Top Dawg Entertainment signee Isaiah Rashad burst on the scene for many with his BET Hip Hop Awards freestyle performance, but has been quietly amassing quite the following in his hometown of Chattanooga, Tennessee. How much is he influenced by the urban griots upon which a significant chunk of Rap’s history is built? His latest single, “Brad Jordan” takes the birth-given name of Houston legend Scarface, and Rashad attempts to Rap in a manner inspired by the legacy of his career. If a fan of Big K.R.I.T. and wanting him to have some friendly competition in allowing that style of Southern Rap to rise again, Rashad’s an ideal name to follow.

Travi$ Scott

Travi$ Scott is the ultimate wildcard. The year that saw his time bending talent shine on Yeezus was also the year in which a handful of exclamatory question marks blazed like Girl Scout cookies. His BET Hip Hop Awards cypher verse was the worst, for example. His BET cypher verse explanation: The worstest. And yet, Mr. “Gulit Trip’s” talent is as unquestionable as a Seth Curry free throw. That’s kind of where Travi$ Scott lives. In G.O.O.D. Music’s eco system—the label where artistic integrity and commercial viability seem to unite like Wonder Twins most often—the kid from Houston, Texas could easily be the next Big Sean. And just as easily, be the next Cyhi The Prince. That’s not a shot. That’s a timeline.

Bodega Bamz

Few things scream backhanded compliment more than having a qualifying adjective thrown in to describe your classification in Hip Hop. Much like “female emcees,” writers have taken to the designation of “Latino rappers” as if those with Latino roots haven’t been participating in Hip Hop from the beginning. No matter. Spanish Harlem’s Bodega Bamz conveniently flips the label as he pleases, and he’s equally comfortable rocking with the likes of A$AP Ferg or Tego Calderon. All of this would just be cultural window dressing to display his Dominican and Puerto Rican roots if he couldn’t spit. But a spot on 2013’s “Rock The Bells” lineup, the previously mentioned cameos and a growing array of rhyme cadences have Bamz primed for more attention in 2014. If he realizes the potential he’s already shown, the only race anyone will be paying attention to is the one that involves him beating other notable upstarts for an XXL “Freshman Class” cover.

Joey Fatts

As most know, the infamous Thug Life tattoo inked across the late Tupac Shakur’s torso was also an acronym: The Hate U Give Little Infants Fucks Everybody. Plenty of moral grandstanding has been done against Chief Keef, but the economically decadent, morally corrupt climate of the ‘90s hasn’t exactly done Long Beach, California’s Joey Fatts any favors. He and Keef are essentially different sides of the same coin. Much like his cousin, Vince Staples, Fatts mixes alarmingly frank talk of his underworld dealings with a level of introspection not seen by rappers twice his age. “My mama said all I do is chief, and that’s that shit she don’t like,” he rhymes on “Get Paid” from his March 2013 mixtape, Chipper Jones Vol. 2. “But she don’t mind me breakin’ in a nigga house and movin’ white / ‘Cause she know that keep the rent right…” If the next 365 days see him spitting more content similar to those bars above and less trouble away from the microphone, then things could become extremely interesting for Long Beach’s next generation of Hip Hop.

Logic

Rapper/producer turned record exec, No ID kept his magic touch intact for 2013. After handpicking Jhene Aiko, the Def Jam Executive Vice President of A&R also inked Gaithersburg, Maryland’s Logic to a deal. Catchy, melodic tracks that were radio ready created an irresistible dichotomy when paired with Logic’s ability to openly talk about harder subject matter such as his family members dealing and/or abusing drugs. Much like Frank Sinatra (whom 2013’s Welcome To Forever mixtape name checked) there was some serious stuff going on beneath the clean cut exterior. The only concern going forward is the same one No ID voiced to Logic after hearing his signature project: will there be enough remaining content to mine for a retail album? Given the fact that Logic said he crafted Young Sinatra: Welcome To Forever in a few short months, odds are very much in his favor

Nipsey Hussle

It’s been nearly five years since Nipsey Hussle flipped a sample of “Jump” by Kris Kross into a regional hit. With a spot on Epic Records’ roster and a co-sign by Snoop Dogg on the Malice N Wonderland single “Upside Down,” Nip seemed poised for the traditional route to Hip Hop success. Maybe we should’ve taken the fact that he was hanging out with TDE’s Jay Rock way back then as an omen. With his Crenshaw mixtape and associated “Proud 2 Pay” campaign, Nipsey bucked any notions of the traditional record industry model on his way to a cool $100,000 in less than a week. He’s already gone on record saying his 2014 retail offering, The Victory Lap could very well have a similar campaign attached to it. And if the likes of Jay Z are buying 100 copies at a time, why not?

Bishop Nehru

With all the talk about the fractured state of Golden Era, boom bap styled Rap from New York, Rockland County’s Bishop Nehru let his actions speak and dropped a two-piece in the form of his Nehruvia and Strictly Flowz mixtapes. They were jazzy, innovative and nostalgic but ultimately powered by clever wordplay and intricate rapping not just ‘90s era sentiments. Vets such as Wu-Tang Clan and MF DOOM noticed, and the Big Apple’s self-proclaimed ruler “King Kendrick” even shouted him out. Add in the fact that the teenage upstart handles production, arrangement and instrumentation, and you have the makings of not just a great New York artist, but a great artist period.

Vince Staples

Strip away the historical context of being a rapper from Long Beach, California and his connection to both Odd Future and Mac Miller, and you get to the essence of why Vince Staples is poised for success. His flow is effortless and has a hint of a drawl the Left Coast hasn’t seen since Snoop was morphing into a Doberman Pinscher as opposed to a lion. Yet it’s not a case of style over substance. Take his verbal assault on the 2013 Earl Sweatshirt and Casey Veggies collaboration “Hive,” where he references everything from Thizz pills to German concentration camp Auschwitz and iconic ‘90s Charlotte Hornets forward Larry Johnson. “If this was ’88 I would’ve signed to Ruthless,” he quips. Luckily Def Jam has Vince inked to a deal. And with the Mac Miller produced, Stolen Youth mixtape further showcasing his skills, we hope the union turns out to be a perfect platform for Vince.

Stalley

We get it…we get it. Stalley isn’t a rookie, freshman or any such classification, and he hasn’t been for quite some time. But here’s the thing, Stalley is easily the most likeable member of Maybach Music Group. And seeing how 2013 could very well be a make or break year for the house that Ricky Rozay built, the man with MMG’s second most recognizable beard is in a pivotal position whether he wants to be or not. During the last 12 months, we’ve seen Ross lose a Reebok deal after halfway apologizing for rhyming about slipping MDMA in his date’s drink while she didn’t even know it. A clear difference of opinion between Wale and Complex.com led to a phone call that (at the very least) Mr. Folarin wishes wasn’t recorded. Meanwhile, Stalley was helping the homeless. With Brother Ali. Scribes are likely going to be quick to link the above events, even though they have absolutely nothing to do with each other. It’s not to deify Stalley and demonize his crew members. But if he can finally drop at least one transcendent single, then it adds a dynamic to Maybach Music Group that no one else has been able to provide.

107 Comments

Mani Packi

WazaMC

Santino Music is unbelievable, especially that Santino is almost 18.
He is A good looking kid Too!! Hes what they call A Triple Threat
in the Industry. His Tracks are just all I can say is - bow-down peeps!
Hes about to drop "Letters To You" his second Tape, an
Santino has this Flow and way in an with his Lyrics that's so
like real Old School meets modern, Im not sure how to explain,
its like this kid was Born from someone BIG back in day- who was reincarnated,
peeps this is real talk. Once I relized This kids amazing Talent,
I have followed and paid very close attention, and is very
mysterios how his writing and Flow swag everything but
also its also something else,that is just so familiar from back in the day,
but its still totally Original,
Kid cant even be compared to Anyone else, keepin it 100 peeps.
On You Tube channel is " Santino Music " ,
He just put out his "OFFICIAL Music Video" like 3 days ago
Its called "CHINATOWN FREESTYLE" Video - an is Tight AF!!
Its the kids first Official Video and kid gets mad props.
And he has lots of Videos up all kinds of Remixes, a lot of
Old School Beats and boi those are tight AF!
Also a few freestyles and like that!
Santino can Freestyle so amazing, like a Mutha F**!
I haven't seen many dudes in my ** years that can hold out like him,
nobody can go as long and as deep,
better then Santino or can even freestyle like this kid,
no shit peeps. Just check it, yous see.
And most of his Remixes are Better then The Orig. Real talk.
CHINATOWN FREESTYLE Video - is off the hook!
Its the kids first Official Video and kid gets mad props.
On Sound cloud I don't know how often they update that tho,
may be free music only and some youtube tracks to some new some
up about a year almost.
I had someone share a Video with me about 7 months ago
and that's how I first saw and watched Listened to Santino,
I have been an will continue to follow Santino's success,
he will be one of the Greats, a M-Label will Def. pick him up real quick,
and Santino will have his pick, so you kno he'll get what he wants,
not that bs deal either, if Santino even wants to sign out, he might want to stay Indi,
I know this friends... I remember my own grind,
I didn't make a Big name for myself, but I did run the game for a good minute,
and lil man get mad Respect! Santino, mad respect bruh.
#SantinoMusic #LettersToYou
Twitter @ThaRealSantino
Instagrm. @SantinoMusic
Soundcloud @ ThaRealSantino
All Santino's Links peps is up all over
and on his YouTube Channel.
Check Santino Out, If all yous don't already know
Santino name yous will real soon anyways, real talk

WazaMC

Santino Music is unbelievable, especially that Santino is almost 18.
He is A good looking kid Too!! Hes what they call A Triple Threat
in the Industry. His Tracks are just all I can say is - bow-down peeps!
Hes about to drop "Letters To You" his second Tape, an
Santino has this Flow and way in an with his Lyrics that's so
like real Old School meets modern, Im not sure how to explain,
its like this kid was Born from someone BIG back in day- who was reincarnated,
peeps this is real talk. Once I relized This kids amazing Talent,
I have followed and paid very close attention, and is very
mysterios how his writing and Flow swag everything but
also its also something else,that is just so familiar from back in the day,
but its still totally Original,
Kid cant even be compared to Anyone else, keepin it 100 peeps.
On You Tube channel is " Santino Music " ,
He just put out his "OFFICIAL Music Video" like 3 days ago
Its called "CHINATOWN FREESTYLE" Video - an is Tight AF!!
Its the kids first Official Video and kid gets mad props.
And he has lots of Videos up all kinds of Remixes, a lot of
Old School Beats and boi those are tight AF!
Also a few freestyles and like that!
Santino can Freestyle so amazing, like a Mutha F**!
I haven't seen many dudes in my ** years that can hold out like him,
nobody can go as long and as deep,
better then Santino or can even freestyle like this kid,
no shit peeps. Just check it, yous see.
And most of his Remixes are Better then The Orig. Real talk.
CHINATOWN FREESTYLE Video - is off the hook!
Its the kids first Official Video and kid gets mad props.
On Sound cloud I don't know how often they update that tho,
may be free music only and some youtube tracks to some new some
up about a year almost.
I had someone share a Video with me about 7 months ago
and that's how I first saw and watched Listened to Santino,
I have been an will continue to follow Santino's success,
he will be one of the Greats, a M-Label will Def. pick him up real quick,
and Santino will have his pick, so you kno he'll get what he wants,
not that bs deal either, if Santino even wants to sign out, he might want to stay Indi,
I know this friends... I remember my own grind,
I didn't make a Big name for myself, but I did run the game for a good minute,
and lil man get mad Respect! Santino, mad respect bruh.
#SantinoMusic #LettersToYou
Twitter @ThaRealSantino
Instagrm. @SantinoMusic
Soundcloud @ ThaRealSantino
All Santino's Links peps is up all over
and on his YouTube Channel.
Check Santino Out, If all yous don't already know
Santino name yous will real soon anyways, real talk .

WazaMC

Santino Music is unbelievable, especially that Santino
is almost 18.
He is A good looking kid Too!!
Hes what they call A Triple Threat
in the Industry. His Tracks are just all I can say is - bow-down peeps!
Hes about to drop "Letters To You" his second Tape,
an Santino has this Flow and way in an with his Lyrics that's so
like real Old School meets modern, Im not sure how to explain,
its like this kid was Born from someone BIG back in day- who was reincarnated,
peeps this is real talk. Once I relized This kids amazing Talent,
I have followed and paid very close attention, and is very
mysterios how his writing and Flow swag everything but
also its also something else,that is just so familiar from back in the day,
but its still totally Original,
Kid cant even be compared to Anyone else, keepin it 100 peeps.
On You Tube channel is " Santino Music " ,
He just put out his "OFFICIAL Music Video" like 3 days ago
Its called "CHINATOWN FREESTYLE" Video - an is Tight AF!!
Its the kids first Official Video and kid gets mad props.
And he has lots of Videos up all kinds of Remixes, a lot of
Old School Beats and boi those are tight AF!
Also a few freestyles and like that!
Santino can Freestyle so amazing, like a Mutha F**!
I haven't seen many dudes in my ** years that can hold out like him,
nobody can go as long and as deep,
better then Santino or can even freestyle like this kid,
no shit peeps. Just check it, yous see.
And most of his Remixes are Better then The Orig. Real talk.
CHINATOWN FREESTYLE Video - is off the hook!
Its the kids first Official Video and kid gets mad props.
On Sound cloud I don't know how often they update that tho,
may be free music only and some youtube tracks to some new some
up about a year almost.
I had someone share a Video with me about 7 months ago
and that's how I first saw and watched Listened to Santino,
I have been an will continue to follow Santino's success,
he will be one of the Greats, a M-Label will Def. pick him up real quick,
and Santino will have his pick, so you kno he'll get what he wants,
not that bs deal either, if Santino even wants to sign out, he might want to stay Indi,
I know this friends... I remember my own grind,
I didn't make a Big name for myself, but I did run the game for a good minute,
and lil man get mad Respect! Santino, mad respect bruh.
#SantinoMusic #LettersToYou
Twitter @ThaRealSantino
Instagrm. @SantinoMusic
Soundcloud @ ThaRealSantino
All Santino's Links peps is up all over
and on his YouTube Channel.
Check Santino Out, If all yous don't already know
Santino name yous will real soon anyways, real talk .

Donnell

Jamal Black

Raider275

What about Denzel Curry? Watch him do it dis yr. Or maybe Spaceghostpurrp i think its gon be a bog yr for the whole Raider Klan. And Flatbush Zombies? What about Chiraq rappers like Lil Durk or Rondonumbanine?

niluronak

fngz

Lil Dicky should have been on this list. generated over $100k on his Kickstarter campaign, millions of youTube views, and the kid kills the mic. His writing ability, flow, intelligence, jokes, story-telling, and creativeness is far beyond any rapper on this list. That's the truth.

Drake Fan

[MR.F]

BOY

You YMCMB haters are fucking idiots. Because I'm an accountant for Cash Money Records, I spend a lot of time with Birdman. What some of you may not know is Michael Jackson was planning on signing to YMCMB at the time of his death. He had even changed his stage name to Mic Jackin.
He was planning on releasing 2 Major albums of hard hitting Trap shit, one a collaborative album with Lil Wayne titled Trap Kids. Since Michael's demise Cash Money records have actually teamed up with NASA and are creating a Global headquarters in Space and on the Moon.
The reason for this is to create a new genre of hiphop called "Zero Gravity Rap". Lil Wayne was hospitalized because during his first zero gravity rap training session he rapped so hard he created a Blackhole that nearly engulfed him.
The universe was not ready for his talent so it tried to take him, luckily all it got was his chain and a couple of Big Mac vouchers. All you haters are gonna be sorry soon YMCMB will be so big it will have its own gravitational pull meaning you will be drawn into it no matter what you do.

Anonymous

Valerie Knight

til I looked at the receipt of $8282, I be certain ...that...my neighbours mother could truley erning money parttime on their laptop.. there brothers friend started doing this 4 only about 21 months and resently paid for the dept on there cottage and bought a brand new Cadillac. you can try this out... www.Tec80.Com
Where is Rick Ross and Game? Where is Meek Mill and Mase? Where are those Lookin Boy guys?

Anonymous

what

Justin Hunte

Thanks for commenting. We're big fans of Rap. Which is why we voted her "Slept On Artist Of The Year" in our 2013 Year End awards. We also voted "She Got Game" runner up for "Mixtape Of The Year." Rapsody owned 2013. Super talented emcee.

Anonymous

Anonymous

how the hell does being in his mid 30,s got
anything to do with his carrear if he makes a hit
right now the maybach fan base will support . rock and roll artist still do tours in they 50,s . hip hop need to stop this fake age limit

Anonymous

gunplay has zero buzz right now. his album was supposed to come out in 2013 but got pushed back just like rozays!
niggas is in his mid 30's hes never gonna blow up... he's destined to being Rick Ross weed carrier as he lost his goon status 4 knockouts ago

Hmmmmm

Justin Hunte

Great point about Nipsey. He's been building his empire for the better part of a decade. He's definitely not a new artist by any means. But this list is focused on artists that we expect to make a leap within the next year. Following "Crenshaw," there's even more anticipation around "Victory Lap," sure. But his pioneering approach to mixtape sales has raised the bar for the mogul in the making. The pieces are set. In that sense, Neighborhood Nip is absolutely one we're watching in 2014.

Justin Hunte

We're fans of Chance and Vic as well, which is why we included them in our Rising Stars of 2013 list. Definitely check it out and let us know what you think.
See comment above about Nipsey. We appreciate you checking the story.

Anonymous

Anonymous:

Justin Hunte

All four of those artists had incredible 2013s. Personally, I'm a huge fan of Kevin Gates' releases last year. It's great seeing him have success. Same for Starlito and Don Trip. We honored KRIT in our 2013 year end awards. I'm excited to see what all of them do in 2014. Thank you for commenting. We appreciate it.

Anonymous

Selorm

Troy Ave aint a drama queen he's dope, he just have a street nigga bravado and we know street niggas are cautious of weirdoes. That being said, the weirdos make better music and street niggas can get real boring !